


Layers

by ClothesBeam



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Introspection, M/M, Poetry, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 12:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14212824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClothesBeam/pseuds/ClothesBeam
Summary: Usagi leaves Leonardo a poem in response to a difficult question. It takes him some time to understand its meaning.





	Layers

It had taken him several days just to discover the postcard-sized sheet of thick, high quality paper that had been placed carefully between the sheets and the mattress of the spare futon. Leo spent another week trying to work out what the flowing, decorative kanji actually were, though the circumstances in which Usagi had left provided Leo with plenty of motivation to persist in his research.

He’d known being so forward had been unlikely to go over well, but he hadn’t known what else to do. Leo had asked Usagi about the relationship between them, though he at least left it to him to interpret what exactly that meant in his answer. But of course there was no way the samurai would bare his heart in such an uncouth way. Usagi had offered a generic answer about friendship before changing the topic, and Leo had known better than to push it further than that.

The _sumi-e_ of a wide and cavernous valley between mountains that made up the background of the poem had given Leo some hint as to its theme, even before he’d gotten anywhere with his translation. Just like the Miyamoto Musashi of his world had been, Usagi was also talented with a brush and ink when painting scenery.

Once Leo was reasonably sure what the kanji were, he’d been able to derive a literal translation within a day. After sleeping on it, he distilled the poem into what he hoped was a more sensical translation.

 

_The valley is wide_

_The journey arduous but short_

_Yet the sun sets all too quickly_

_The traveller stops to enjoy the shade_

_But the sapling needs nourishment_

_To become the grandest oak_

_Still the traveller returns hopeful_

Leo was just glad Usagi had left him something that was freeform, and therefore a little easier to interpret than a haiku. Clearly he’d given careful consideration to his intended audience and hadn’t wanted Leo to have to agonise over it for too long. Despite this, Leo had no idea if he was reading into it correctly, as it was.

Leo was confident he had the first verse figured out. The valley probably referred to the distance and barriers between their worlds. Given Usagi’s choice in accompanying painting, it seemed this had been his central focus while composing his message.

They reached each other’s worlds via a portal, which certainly made it a short trip, but also difficult to organise and pull off. The sun setting quickly referred to the fact their visits were never long, he was sure.

But it was the second verse that was making him uneasy. Obviously Usagi was the traveller, but he couldn’t tell whether the tree was meant to represent their relationship as a whole or him personally. If it was the former, it meant Usagi was concerned they hadn’t spent enough time together for something more to flourish, but the fact he enjoyed the shade seemed to indicate he liked his company nonetheless.

The latter would probably mean he considered Leo to still be too immature to pursue anything serious with. Given he had only turned twenty a few months ago, the generally accepted age of adulthood in Usagi’s time, he couldn’t help but feel this was probably the intended interpretation. The shade the tree threw may refer to the path of the ninja, or the way Usagi perceived his temperament.

Then again, perhaps it lent itself to both interpretations on both accounts for a reason.

Though Leo felt somewhat inadequate in either case, the final line prevented him from despairing. It seemed to mean Usagi would continue to visit until the oak grew strong.

Leo held the sheet of paper with gentle hands as he read the original poem to himself once again. He was sure his interpretation was at least partially accurate, but undoubtedly he would have a long time to consider it further before he and Usagi met again.

Leo slid the paper between the blank pages in the back of his copy of The Book of Five Rings. Not only did that location represent the object of his affections, but it was also somewhere the rest of his family would never look. His brothers found his taste in philosophical non-fiction to be dry, and his father had no need to refer to his books. There was no sense in risking anyone else looking at Usagi’s private thoughts, and this placement would help preserve the card.

They would get their chance to talk further, eventually. In the meantime, Leo resolved to keep up a steady pace of self-development. He knew better than to push beyond his own limits, but he wanted to be Usagi’s equal, not his apprentice.

Given Usagi’s background, it was clear what he considered to be a sign of maturity. Leo sat in a meditative pose to reflect on what he knew about the tenets of bushido, and how he could change his own behaviour to reflect that.

Whether it was one month or one year away, he would be ready for the next time they met.


End file.
